


A Joy Like No Other

by lunabelle



Series: There You Were-The Missing Moments [5]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff, Love, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6799999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>April realizes the reason she's been feeling so off lately, and the implications of what it could mean for her and Andy's relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Joy Like No Other

**Author's Note:**

> This is another missing moment from my AU. This wasn't requested, in fact, it was an idea of my own that I just had to get out. Enjoy! :)

April stretched her arms high over her head, stifling a yawn in the early morning. It was her favorite type of day…that is, the type of day where she literally didn’t have to do _anything_ other than lie in bed all day and cuddle with Andy. It was perfect bliss, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Two hands crept around her waist, pulling her back down under the covers, and April turned toward him with a smile she rarely gave anyone else.

“Mornin,” Andy mumbled against her shoulder, his scruffy face brushing a kiss along her skin while his green eyes blinked back sleep.

“Morning,” she replied, snuggling down deeper into the warmth of their bed and cupping his cheek.

“You’re so cute when you’re sleepy,” he yawned, giving her a dry chuckle.

“Am not,” she grinned, pulling herself up so she was straddling him.

“Are too,” he rubbed up her arms, hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “You’re so cute, and you make the softest, cutest little noises while you sleep, too.”

“Ugh,” she shook her head. “Stop…”

Andy smiled up at her, silently taking her in. His eyes roamed over her face and torso, until he lingered, staring directly at her chest with a fixed, curious expression.

“Dude,” she shook her head. “Stop staring at my boobs.”

“I can’t help it,” he said, not looking away. “Don’t take this the wrong way babe, but…I dunno, they just look…bigger.”

“What are you talking about?” April glanced down at her chest, covered in an old tank top. “Stop making up an excuse to stare,” she laughed.

“Babe, I’m not!” he shook his head frantically. “I’m just…I feel like I never noticed before. You look great, though!”

“Andy,” she rolled her eyes, leaning down to give him a soft kiss. She lingered there as the kiss deepened, until she stretched out along his chest, falling back onto the mattress. As they broke away, she smiled against his lips.

“What’s the plan for today?” His voice was dry, eyes staring at her dazedly.

“To stay in bed with you all day,” she grinned, running her hand through his messy hair. “To do absolutely nothing but lie under these covers, and maybe get some food.”

“I’ll take it,” he smiled brightly, before pulling her against him for another kiss.

 

Compared to Saturday, Sundays were no where near as fun for April. Usually she and Andy did something with her family, and usually it was a quick one to two hour meal or excursion that didn’t require much time or energy. Plus, Andy loved her family almost as much as they loved him, and though she didn’t like to admit it, April enjoyed seeing him having fun with them.

Today however was a totally different story. Today, her dad was being honored at some weird fancy woodworker’s convention for a chair he built, and all of them were going. April knew she could’ve easily said no, and there wouldn’t have been much else to the conversation. But the look on her father’s face when he got the notice in the mail about a week back…well, that was something she couldn’t say no to.

“Babe,” she called Andy from the bathroom, stepping into a form-fitting dark blue evening dress that Diane had picked out for her. “Honey, can you come zip me up?”

“Sure thing,” Andy called from the kitchen area. “Be right there.”

April frowned as she tried to work the dress down over her, pulling at the thin fabric carefully as it fell along her body. It was definitely her size, but it seemed to be a bit snug on top.

“Hey,” Andy appeared in the doorway, immediately reaching for the zipper. “Wow, babe…” he breathed, as she held her hair up. “This looks beautiful on you.”

She smiled softly at him as he tugged the metal zipper up to the top of the dress. “It feels too tight,” she said, turning to face him and staring down at herself. “I don’t get it…it’s my size and everything.”

Andy didn’t say anything, instead staring at her with the same fixed expression he wore the previous morning.

“Andy!” she waved her hand in front of his face frustratedly. “Does this look okay?”

He shook his head, as though coming out of a daze. “Huh? Oh, of course it does! You look gorgeous!”

April turned to face the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. It was true…her top half certainly looked different. In fact, that was where most of the pull was coming from. Ignoring the little pang of uncertainty in her brain, she turned to face Andy.

“Okay, your turn. Let’s get you dressed. I can’t wait to see you in a suit,” she grinned, leading him to the closet.

 

The convention turned out to be pretty decent. There were a lot more people there than April would’ve imagined. Apparently, Indiana had quite its fair share of woodworkers. The family of nine—Tom and his girlfriend Lucy came too—sat at a table all to themselves. 

“This is amazing,” Andy looked around, admiring the sight. “Ron, I had no idea this many people were into…y’know…whatever it is you do.”

“Yes, Andrew,” Ron nodded. “There are quite a few people with the same passion. I’m just honored I got to be a part of this.”

“Your chair is definitely the best, darling,” Diane squeezed his hand, kissing his cheek as the appetizers arrived.

“Sweeeet,” Tom rubbed his hands together. “Stuffed shrimp, scallops, salad _and_ soup? This is quite the baller spread.”

“Yes, quite the spread,” April shook her head at her older brother’s excitement. Tom always loved to eat and drink what he considered “fancy” things.

As she reached for the fork to help herself to some shrimp, her stomach did something funny. The smell of the food wafted her way, and her insides felt as though they were churning non-stop, pushing around the little wine she’d had when they arrived and whatever else she’d eaten that afternoon. It wasn’t a good feeling.

“Babe,” Andy whispered beside her. “You okay?”

She realized she’d been frozen with her hand out mid-grab for the past ten seconds. Shaking her head, she nodded.

“I’m fine,” she smiled quickly, standing up even quicker. “Be right back…bathroom.”

April hurried to the back of the ballroom, rushing into the ladies room and the first empty stall she saw. She was grateful no one else was there to hear her throw up.

Her head felt dizzy as she stood, clutching at her middle. She couldn’t believe this was happening…again. Andy hadn’t noticed when she’d snuck out of bed at four in the morning for the same reason, and she didn’t tell him. Checking her reflection in the mirror and smoothing back her hair, April made her way back to the table.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Andy asked, his eyes concerned as April took her seat.

“Yeah,” she nodded quickly, taking a sip of her water. “I’m just…not as hungry as I thought.”

Andy reached under the table to find her hand, and gave it a comforting squeeze. She returned it, trying to ignore the suspicious looks she was getting from Ivy and Zoey.

She managed to make it through the rest of the evening without another incident. She picked at some salad, and ate a few bites of the prime rib that was served shortly afterwards. She completely skipped dessert, which was a selection of cakes and cheesecakes that she normally would’ve devoured, and gave her serving to Andy instead.

After her dad had accepted his award and said a few words, it was finally time to leave. April’s head spun as they made their way to the car, grabbing Andy’s hand for support as she walked.

“You sure you’re okay?” Andy asked, opening the car door for her to get in. “You look a little strange, babe. You didn’t even really eat.”

“I just wasn’t hungry,” she shrugged, leaning her head back in the seat. “I just wanna go home.”

 

It was a relief to finally be out of that gown as April slipped into one of Andy’s old shirts. She’d crashed on the couch as soon as they’d arrived back home, totally exhausted from the evening.

“Here,” Andy said, handing her a beer as he sat down beside her. “Relax, babe.” He reached for the remote and turned on the television, blasting through channels until he landed on something they liked.

“Andy,” April placed her beer on the table beside the couch, and turned to face him. She had a gut feeling she knew what was wrong. More than a gut feeling, actually…in fact, it was the only thing that made sense.

“Hmm?” his eyes were glued to the TV screen.

“Honey, look at me,” she said softly, grabbing his hand and pulling it down.

He turned, his eyes narrow. Putting down his beer and the remote, he faced her and waited.

“What’s up?”

“Andy,” she took a deep breath, unsure how to go about this. She wasn’t even entirely sure, yet instinct was telling her otherwise. “I think I’m pregnant.”

Finally, everything seemed to make sense. The food, the nausea, the dizziness…she’d been more tired than ever lately. Now she understood what Andy had meant about her boobs. He wasn’t making things up…it was true. They’d gotten bigger. She was pregnant. She didn’t even need to take a test, honestly. She just knew. The first time this happened to her, she’d been young—too young. She hadn’t recognized the signs, but now…she understood.

Andy stared at her a good long while, tilting his head to the side. “But…how is that possible?” he asked, his mouth slightly open as he digested the new information. “We haven’t…we always use protection, y’know?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, swallowing hard. “I know we do. But there was that one time we didn’t.”

“When?”

“New Year’s Eve,” she said softly. “We were both pretty drunk, remember?”

Andy made a face as though he was thinking hard, trying to remember. It was nearly two months ago, so she wasn’t surprised. Plus, they both had been completely wasted on Snakejuice…and a bit of pot. Finally, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my God,” he said slowly. “You’re right…”

“Andy—“

“Oh my God!” he smiled, reaching forward to pull her into a hug. “April, this is the best news! Oh man! Are you sure? Can we find out? How do you know?” His eyes shone with excitement.

This was totally not the reaction she was expecting.

“Andy…you’re okay with this?” she asked, taken aback by his enthusiasm. “I mean…if this is true, it’s a huge thing.” In truth, his excitement was making her a bit nervous. She knew he wasn’t like other guys, but the first time around she’d gone though the same thing…and that had only ended in one of the worst moments of her life.

Andy kissed her firmly on the lips, pulling her as close as humanly possible without smothering her. “I’m so, so happy,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. “You have no idea how amazing this is.”

“I’ll buy a test tomorrow,” she said, her mind going a million miles an hour. “If it is true…we’ve got to make an appointment.”

“Can I come?” Andy asked excitedly. “To the appointment, I mean.”

She couldn’t help but smile. No one came with her the first time. She’d gone at most of this alone. Now here Andy was, her perfect boyfriend, practically jumping at the chance to attend a prenatal appointment with her. Almost on cue, her eyes watered and that annoying lump formed in her throat.

“Hey, hey,” Andy rubbed her arms, pulling her into his lap. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she choked out. “Nothing is wrong at all.” She pushed herself against him, her feet dangling over his legs as he held her. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he kissed her head. “Oh my God, this is the best day ever.”

 

Her heart hammered through her chest as she stared at the little blue plus sign. It almost wasn’t necessary, she had already been so sure. Yet April had to see the proof herself before she could find the strength to call and make an appointment.

Stepping out of the tiny bathroom, she took a breath as she turned to face Andy. He was seated on the edge of the bed, nervously tapping his knuckles against his knees. Looking up as he heard the bathroom door open, he stood up immediately and crossed the short distance to where she stood.

“Yeah?” Andy reached out, placing his hands cautiously on her waist.

“Yeah,” she said softly, managing a weak, nervous smile.

Andy’s smile was a mile wide as he let out a shout of laughter, lifting her up in the air and spinning her around once. Almost immediately, he placed her back on the floor.

“Oh—sorry babe—I know I shouldn’t do that, but God, I’m so happy!” He pulled her in for a hug, tilting her chin up to meet his lips in a kiss.

He was happy, happier than April ever thought he’d be. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight as she thought about the weight of their situation. Andy must have sensed her nerves, because then he was holding her shoulders and staring directly into her eyes, trying to assess her emotions.

“Hey…you okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, wiping her eyes with her palm, trying to smile. “Of course I am.”

“You’re not okay,” Andy shook his head, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. “Talk to me. You’re not excited about this?”

The reality of the situation was rapidly setting in, and April felt as though she could barely keep up. Everything was going to change now. It would all be different. Honestly, she didn’t know if she could handle it again.

“I…I am,” she mumbled. “This is just…this is big, Andy. I’m twenty-three. I don’t even have a real job, and you work part-time…and,” she wiped her eyes again, “and I don’t want you to leave.”

He stared at her quizzically, as though he was trying to digest what she’d just said. “What do you mean ‘you don’t want me to leave?’”

“I mean, this wasn’t part of the plan, and I don’t want you to one day realize what a mistake this was and go.”

“Babe,” Andy shook his head, taking her hands in his. “That’s never going to happen.”

“Andy—“

“No, listen,” he interrupted, looking more serious than she’d ever seen him. “You have no idea how happy I am. This is the most amazing news. Sure, this was a little unexpected. So what? Honey, I love you so, so much.” He punctuated his words with a kiss. “There’s no one else I’d rather be with…no one else I’d rather raise a kid with. You are going to be an amazing mother, and I can only hope I’ll be as good a father.”

“I’ve been through this before,” she said, her voice getting annoyingly higher on its own as she tried to look him in the eyes. “That’s what I was told last time, and remember what happened?” A single tear rolled down her cheek, which she wiped away frustratedly. 

“It’s not going to be like that,” Andy replied seriously. “You know I would never…I’m not like that. I promise, you’ll see—” His gaze dropped with his words, staring at the floor, and suddenly he looked a little sad. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked softly.

“I didn’t even ask you,” he replied dully. “Here I am going on and on about it, and I didn’t even stop to think that maybe _you_ don’t want this.”

April watched the way his face fell. Pushing aside her initial fears and reservations, it was at that moment that she realized exactly how much Andy was looking forward to this. He didn’t care that they’d only been together for a few months, or that neither of them had full-time jobs. It didn’t matter that they lived on the third floor of her parents’ house, or that they barely had any money saved up. He was overjoyed at the idea of being a father, and he wanted to share that experience with her.

“Andy,” she held his hand a little tighter, tugging until he met her eyes again.

“Yeah?”

“I do want to do this,” she give him the tiniest of smiles. “I want to do this with you…the whole thing and everything in between.”

She watched the grin split his face as Andy realized what she’d said. Pulling him against her, she buried her face in his shoulder and finally let herself relax.

 

“Okay, now just relax Ms. Swanson,” the doctor instructed her as she leaned back on the examination chair. “Nice, calm muscles. Nice steady breaths, okay? I want you to know there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried,” April said, with Andy holding her hand beside her. She looked to him, and it was enough to give her relief.

She’d gone out of her way to have a doctor who wasn’t Dr. Saperstein. Ann’s father, and Andy’s ex-father-in-law-to-be, Saperstein was Pawnee’s only OB/GYN, and April refused to have him examine her. From what Andy had told her, Dr. Saperstein was never very nice to him, often looking down on him and micro-managing his and Ann’s relationship whenever he could.

So, they made the trip to Eagleton instead.

“Here we go,” her new doctor, Dr. White, said, turning on the machine.

The screen was a grey and black picture with the tiniest of white blobs in the center. April watched with wide eyes, and Andy tightened his grip beside her.

“There’s your baby,” Dr. White said, as she pointed to the screen with her free hand. “Right there, that little blob.” Pausing, she squinted and moved closer. “Huh.”

“What?” April asked, panic flaring up in her chest immediately.

“Well, there’s your baby right there, and right here—“ she pointed to another slightly darker white blob off to the right. “—is another one.”

April’s mouth fell open. She turned to Andy, her face frozen in shock. He didn’t seem to understand what Dr. White had just told them.

“Andy,” she whispered, holding onto him for dear life. If she hadn’t already been sitting, she definitely would’ve needed to.

“April,” Andy too squinted at the image in front of them. “What does she mean?”

“Babe,” April smiled now, her heart pounding so furiously she was shocked the other two couldn’t hear it. “There’s two… We’re having _two_ babies—twins!”

Andy turned to April, and then to Dr. White, who only smiled and nodded from her stool in front of the machine.

“Are—are you serious?” he asked, pointing to the little image. “There’s two in there?”

“Very serious,” the doctor nodded, circling the second white blob with her finger. “This is baby A,” she pointed to the closer baby, “and this is baby B.”

“This is—oh my God,” Andy took April’s face in his hands. “I love you so much,” he smiled, kissing her softly on the lips.

The look on his face was unforgettable. April knew she would remember it for the rest of her life. Any doubts she had before were forgotten in an instant as she looked into his shining green eyes.

“Congratulations,” Dr. White said, handing them a printed photo of the ultrasound. “From the look of it, you are due in mid to late September. Twins usually come early though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a couple of weeks sooner.”

“Thank you,” April said, staring at the little image. Andy peered down over her shoulder, his hand on the small of her back. “Babe…we’re having twins.”

 

“I think I’ve got super sperm,” Andy grinned, staring up at the ceiling as the both of them lay in bed that night. “Seriously babe, two babies in one shot.”

April laughed, gently shoving his shoulder. “How d’you know I don’t have super eggs, huh?”

“Maybe you do!” Andy said suddenly, turning on his side to face her. “Maybe we’ve both just got super baby-making abilities.”

“Dork,” she shook her head.

They cuddled in silence for a while, listening to the faint sounds of the TV that neither of them were paying much attention to. After a while, Andy draped his arm over her side, where his palm came to rest on her stomach.

“I’m so happy April,” he said softly, staring at her with the same thrilled expression that hadn’t changed since they arrived back home. “This is going to be the most amazing thing. I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I,” she moved closer to him, lifting her head to kiss his cheek.

“So you’re feeling better about everything?” he asked, his hand starting to slowly rub her belly in soft, circular motions.

“Mmhm,” she nodded. Her eyes began to close from the combination of his movements and just how comfortable she felt in that moment.

“Good,” Andy sighed. Scooting down the bed, he rested his head against her abdomen, as though he was waiting to hear something.

April laughed softly as she watched him. “Hear anything?”

“Hey—hi babies,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. “Hi…you don’t know it yet, but this is your daddy.”

April stared at him as he talked, her chest filling with warmth at the sight before her. She didn’t realize how much more she could actually love him until now.

“I hope you guys get along in there,” he continued, kissing the spot just below her belly button. “Your mommy’s the best, and there’s no better place to be. Well, except with us…when you’re actually, you know, born…”

April laughed, running her hand through his hair.

“Anyway…I love you both so much,” he said, peering up at her as he spoke. “Can’t wait to meet you. Get some sleep, okay?”

“I love you,” April said, as Andy pulled himself back up beside her. “I love you so, so much.”

“I love you too, babe,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her.

_“We could do this,”_ she thought to herself, as Andy’s lips made her forget everything else but the both of them. They could do it together, be the family she knew they could be…and for once in her life, the thought of children filled her with a joy like no other.


End file.
